Trading term

What is Weekend effect (crypto)?

The weekend effect in crypto is how much less bitcoin and other coins move on Saturdays and Sundays than on weekdays, even though the market never closes.

Crypto trades 24/7, but it doesn't move evenly. Across Binance's bitcoin bars from 2018 to 2026, a weekend day moved 70% as much as a weekday in 2018-2021 and 55% as much since 2022. The weekend's share of the week's volume fell from 23% to 18%, when two days out of seven would be 29%. The weekend usually ends around 6pm Sunday, New York time, when US stock futures reopen and Asia's Monday begins.

For example

Since 2022, bitcoin's average Saturday has moved 0.8% from open to close, against 2.3% on a Monday. Only 9% of its biggest 1% of half-hours came on a weekend.

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Why it matters to you

A quiet weekend is normal, not a signal. Most of crypto's movement now happens in US stock-market hours: since 2022 the half-hour after the 9:30am New York open has been bitcoin's busiest, at 1.9x the average weekday half-hour.

⚠ Reading a flat weekend as calm before a storm

A flat Saturday is what a Saturday looks like now. It isn't a sign that something is building. The thin weekend book also means a large order can move the price more than it would on a Tuesday.

Frequently asked questions

Is bitcoin less volatile on weekends?

Yes. Since 2022 a weekend day has moved about 55% as much as a weekday, and Saturday is the quietest day of the week.

When does the crypto weekend end?

Around 6pm Sunday, New York time. From 6pm to 9pm Sunday, bitcoin has moved 1.2x the average weekday half-hour since 2022.

Read the full guide

How markets workWhen Crypto Moves: Weekends, Hours and the US OpenCrypto trades around the clock, but it doesn't move around the clock. Across eight years of half-hour bars, the US stock-market open became bitcoin's busiest half-hour, US hours took over 36% of the weekday movement, and a weekend day now moves about 55% as much as a weekday.8 min read

Related terms

BackwardationBackwardation is when futures prices are lower for later delivery dates — the futures curve slopes downward. It often signals tight near-term supply or strong demand for immediate delivery. For futures holders it creates a positive 'roll yield,' as they sell pricier near-term contracts and buy cheaper later ones.BasisBasis is the difference between an asset's futures price and its current spot (cash) price. It reflects carrying costs, supply and demand, and time to expiry — and it converges to zero as the contract nears expiration, since a future about to settle must match the spot price. Traders watch basis to gauge conditions and to hedge.Borrow feeThe borrow fee is what a short seller pays to rent the shares they've borrowed, quoted as an annual rate on the value of the position and charged for every day the short is held. An easy-to-borrow stock might cost a fraction of a percent a year; a hard-to-borrow one can cost many times that.Cash-and-carryA cash-and-carry is a trade that buys an asset and sells a dated futures contract on it at the same time, then holds both to expiry. The two legs close at the same price on settlement day, so the trader keeps the gap between the futures price and the spot price — the basis — as a return that is known on the day the trade is put on.
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